| From | Message |
not yet soon
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/28/2007
16:54:24
|
 Subject: RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
Toyota poised to become world's biggest car maker as GM stalls
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Saturday December 23, 2006
The Guardian
Toyota is soon expected to overtake General Motors as the world's No 1 carmaker after it said yesterday that it expects to produce 9.42m vehicles worldwide next year. That figure would give the Japanese carmaker a clear lead over its US rival, which produced an estimated 9.2m vehicles this year but is struggling to deal with competition from Japanese and Korean automakers. GM has not released a production target for next year, but falling sales mean it is unlikely to build on this year's total.
|
GraphiteDak
GenIII
 
2/28/2007
20:27:02
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
The 1980's SUCKED for most car companies with emissions and all that. But what import cars from the 80's are still even cool to drive? Maybe a Maxda RX7 if you can find one in one piece. Anything else come to mind?
Them Civic and Accords from the 80's were sure butt ugly and had the WORST wiring and vacuum hose setup I had ever worked on!
How many of those do you still see on the road? Next to NILL!
There are on the other had some American cars still kept on the road form the 80's.
All FOX BODY Mustangs. Some with ORIGINAL 302's still running today. Thunderbird SC's, etc.
GM's IROC Camero, Monte Carlo SS's, Buick GN's, Olds Cutlass Supreme 2 door, etc are still kind of cool cars. And those cars ride better on the road than many NEW cars! I still see those all on a daily basis around here!
Dodge however didn't have really any COOL cars I can remember from the 80's though unless someone else remembers of something. They went from ugly RWD Diplomats with lean burn systems to the k-car FWD setup that were almost an import throughout the 80's.
All auto makers have good and bad. But many MANY domestic cars were well known to go over 200k miles. And like I said, most were used for a lot harder work than the imports bought back then for the gas misers!
I kinda like the new 5.7 Tundra though. I guess that will keep some people on their toes with GM, Ford and DC.
|
OBIO3
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/28/2007
22:55:54
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
Probably old news but todays paper said crysler is laying off 13,000 and reducing production by 400,000 per year. This to be in line with 2006 sales. Not a word about improving design or Quality. My mind says there setting the company up to improve apperanses to a buyer. Leaving it up to the new owners to rebuild from scratch and eliminating farther lose to them .
|
Alec
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/28/2007
23:14:50
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
Okay I will sum this up in short.
From Motor Trend: (Does it get any better?) Its the 2007 Power List article in February 07 magazine.
"When will Toyota overtake GM?...the company will be number one worldwide in 2010, with 14 percent to 15 percent market share." "Toyota might actively avoid becoming number one in the United States for fear of jingoistic backlash. Consider the uproar building already over Toyota's 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup program."
Also, I would like to say I don't hate Toyota or any other import really, I just believe American cars always have and always will be more appreciated when the years pass by. I own shares in Toyota (TM), and I'm sad I did not invest in the "worse off" GM....Why? Because GM has risen 57% YTD, while Toyota only 22%. Although I believe Toyota has a brighter future as of right now, GM has a lot more room to improve quickly.
These are the facts.....American all the way!
|
CJ
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/01/2007
00:49:46
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
I pretty much agree with everything you stated Graphite.
However, the one thing I see is that TODAY domestic cars are
not built like they used to. Back in the day, from 80's and prior,
you will see WAY more domestics on the road and lasting longer
than imports.
However, I doubt that is the case 20 years from now with todays
cars. Where money was saved back then in the cosmetics dept.
but still kept in the reliability section, today it has switched,
where a car may "look" amazing from the outside, yet that
money was sacrificed in better mechanical parts and shortcuts.
I'd rather have a simple bare boned beast of a car than a nice
looking tin can.
|
N56629
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/01/2007
06:41:33
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
I'm glad they don't make cars like they "used to." Todays cars can easily go 200k or more, sometimes without any major repairs. Cars of 30 or more years ago were lucky to make 100k before they were junked.
|
dandak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/01/2007
08:58:38
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
best deal on the road - buy a buick, only old people drive them and they die.
on the average,, young people with a high school or better degrees drive honda, toyota etc and they are repeat buyers.
american car makers have to wake up and they haven't in 35 years. It's sad
|
GraphiteDak
GenIII
3/01/2007
20:49:55
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
CJ, actually I bet with ALL makers, there wont be many of todays cars on the road in 20 years!
They all fold up like an empty beer can on a fender bender against a shopping cart!!! LOL!!!!
:)
The newer engines are built to tighter specs these days which is good and the seals are designed better. So oil LEAKS are reduced. It was rare for a Chevy 350 to NOT leak! Bearing designs are pretty good too. And they have to be since many engines are ran at higher revs at a normal basis. It's nothing to rev my 4.7 to 5k and just leave it there for a while!
All makers have good and bad. Toyota seems to be doing good right now. Look at Nissan though. The Titan, and it's wimpy rear end, were on the most UNreliable truck list last time I looked.
Ford's modular engine design has now been in use about 15 years or so as well. They seem to be holding up great in F150's and Mustangs. You can't say those are bad either.
|
Dan M
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/01/2007
21:49:50
| RE: US cars lose more ground
IP: Logged
Message:
GM sales are up for feb, little over 3%.. mainly SUV and trucks.
my suspecion is fuel economy. My buddy just bought 07 gmc sierra quad cab 4x4 Z71 off road... he is averaging 25 mpg on his commute to work... that's mostly highway, but still. I get 16 driving mostly highway too.
- Dan M
|
| | <<Original Post <<Previous Page P 2 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
